Ukrainian team FireWay won a “Best Use of Technology” award at the 48-hour NASA International Space Apps Challenge for its prototype of a universal space connector (ESC).
If the project is brought to life, it will be able to refuel satellites in orbit, extending their life cycles. This would save money for governments and companies, and reduce the amount of orbital debris.
“The task is to refuel the satellites, the same as cars,” said Maksym Kopystko, a Fireway team member.
According to the team’s research, a communications satellite costs about $300 million on average to build, nearly $100 million to launch, and it operates for about 15 years. When the fuel runs out, the satellite starts to drift and cannot maintain its orbit.
Another option is to use the device to connect space station modules or space vehicles assembled in orbit.
In the future, the device can be used on interplanetary fuel stations to facilitate the colonization of the Solar system.
“This is, undoubtedly, the coolest development not only of the NASA International Space App Challenge, but also, in my opinion, in the aerospace industry as of today,” Andrey Vasiliev, a trajectory correction operator at NASA Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas, wrote on Facebook.
The Ukrainian invention went up against 2,300 other projects and achieved victory in one of seven categories.
Now the team, which consists of engineers, astrophysicists and enthusiasts, is going to continue its work on the device.
In previous years, winners of the hackathon were invited to NASA for a tour. There they could present their projects to NASA or its partners.
However, this year, due to the pandemic, NASA will only be able to offer a virtual tour to the winners, Kopystko told the Kyiv Post.
